


It Comes In All Forms

by YesBothWays



Series: The Love Story of Carol Aird and Therese Belivet [2]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Carol (2015)
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M, Feminist Themes, Femslash, Multi, PTSD, Polyamory, V formation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 14:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5789818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YesBothWays/pseuds/YesBothWays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A chance encounter over an attempted robbery at the furniture shop introduces Therese to Peggy Carter and her friend Angie Martinelli.  After an interrupted dinner date, the four of them become friends and gain one another's trust.  Peggy seems curious about the surveillance man hired to gather evidence on Carol.  She offers Carol an unexpected gift a while later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Saturday Shopping

            Therese had given herself a headache reading too much of Simone de Beauvoir's _The Second Sex_ in one sitting. The furniture shop was quiet today, and she had been unconsciously waiting for a customer to disrupt her reading. She felt lost on the last part and read it several times. She was certain that something had been lost in translation. She stepped into the back room, made some tea, and came back to have it along with a cigarette.

            She felt so comfortable in the shop that she could not think of being here as working. Carol and Abby had finally opened their own storefront about six months earlier, and Therese was covering a shift on weekends now and again when both of them needed to be out at different auctions. They were only open noon to five, and work was easy when you were you own boss, she had learned. She meant to carry them through until they were ready to hire someone to cover weekends. The money was getting good enough that looked to be soon.

            A pair of women entered the shop, and Therese could not help but noticed how fine they both looked. They were both tall, one with light hair and one with dark hair. The dark-haired woman was laughing at something the other said, as she led them into the shop. They said hello to Therese, and she asked if they needed anything.

            "Just eying the goods," the light-haired woman said with a rather sweet grin.

            Something about her grin felt friendly enough that Therese found herself wondering if the two women were lovers. She watched them move about the shop. They seemed close enough they might be lovers. She took a sip of her tea while wondering for the hundredth time how many women were like her and Carol, living their lives always postured at a angle to avoid too much notice. Everyone knew about it, yet no one seemed to be living it. That was what you had to do if you wanted to live a chosen life instead of an enforced one, she thought, keep it hidden. She found her own increasingly depressing and somewhat philosophical thoughts after so much reading slightly annoying and hoped Carol could bring her out of it this evening. She was always good at that. Carol was very grounded. She was not given to flights into the abstract for no reason.

            A man came into the shop. He stood casually looking out the front windows, as if he had ducked in to avoid someone. Therese watched the two women looking at beds and chatting about them. The dark-haired woman scanned the room, and for a moment Therese thought that she had recognized the man in the window.  Her chin lifted, and her eyes focused on him. She began to make her way forward from the back of the shop and left her friend behind still gazing at a particularly fine headboard.

            The strange woman's stride had changed as she crossed the room. Her steps sharpened and lengthened. The man had turned from the windows to approach Therese, and the woman stopped not far behind him. Some alarm must have sounded at the back of Therese's mind from reading the woman's movements, because she had already lifted her hands when the man drew a gun from his pocket. He was trying to rob the store apparently. Therese had to get her frozen mind to think and could not remember for a moment how to open the cash drawer. The man glanced out the windows and over his shoulder at the strange woman, who stood behind him like a statue.

            Her friend suddenly appeared from around a line of dressers. She must have crossed back to the front of the shop along the far wall. She smiled and said something to her friend, as she approached. She stopped in her steps as she drew nearer the man.

            "Whoa. What do we got goin' on here?" she said in a bizarrely nonchalant tone.

            "This is a hold up. Everybody just play nice, and nothing bad'll happen," the guy said and held out his hand to steady everyone.

            "Try telling that to gal here trying to run this joint," the woman said and glanced at Therese, "'Cause in her mind, something bad's definitely happenin' now."

            To Therese's profound confusion, the woman took another step towards the armed man. He seemed confused, as well. And he stood up straight and took his free hand off the counter.

            "Stay back, lady," he said.

            He had held the gun trained on Therese, but he tried to turn it to point towards the other woman as he spoke. And her friend, who stood silent and still this whole time, sprang into a sudden burst of motion. Therese thought of the _Wonder Woman_ comics that Dannie loved and lent to her a couple of years back, as the woman took control of the man's arm and punched him under the chin. He fall back onto the ground. Her friend smiled and seemed unsurprised and almost empathic as she looked down at the fallen man.

            "Ah, hell!" the guy said and shook his head.

            The woman leaned down to punch him again straight across the jaw. Her punch made his head snap back and to the side. A little trickle of blood went across the floor. He was completely unconscious. The woman stood up and shook her fist with a little "whew" sound like someone who had just ushered a daddy long-legs carefully out a window and shut it. Her friend very clearly laughed a bit. She turned to look out the front windows, and Therese looked with her.

            "Second guy, Peg!" she said.

            Therese saw another man running into the shop. He had been on lookout. The woman standing over the man on the ground leaned down to grab his pistol and stepped over him. To Therese's astonishment, she watched the second man open the door and handed the pistol quickly to her friend. Then she took a step forward and punched him directly in the chin, as well. He went off his feet and crashed back into the closed door. The impact of his elbow hitting the window broke the glass pane.

            "Keep your feet, man!" the woman yelled at him in exasperation.

            He was out already. She bent down and dragged the man away from the remaining glass that kept shifting and dripping onto the floor to further crack and shatter. She stood up fully and made an exasperated sound and placed her hands on her hips in clear disapproval. Therese heard the woman's friend starting to laugh openly in a light voice, and the woman turned and began to laugh herself. She turned to Therese.

            She was about to say something when an older man looked in from the street. He was wearing a white apron. He seemed both afraid and compelled to try and help.

            "Having trouble?" he said.

            "All handled, thanks," the woman said. "Attempted robbery. Would you mind grabbing us a policeman?"

            The man nodded and rushed off. He seemed glad both to be of help and to leave the scene. The woman sighed. She turned back to Therese.

            "I'm so sorry about your door," she said.

            Therese processed that her accent was distinctly English. She realized she could not find her own voice. She felt strangely still and numb. The woman's friend came behind the counter with a slow, steady movement.

            "You okay, honey?" she asked Therese.

            She reached out and took Therese's arm in a warm, steadying touch.

            "Yes, I am fine," Therese said.

            "Could I trouble you for some rope?" her friend asked.

            "Rope, yes, of course," Therese said.

            She ducked in the back and found a coil of rope for securing furniture in the backs of trucks. She brought it out. She felt her own hands were shaking, as she gave it to the woman. She went back to get another length of rope. From the back room, she heard the two women talking softly to one another and laughing. When she came back out, they were smiling at one another and just letting go of one another's hands. Therese felt almost certain they had just kissed. She even saw that they had moved away from the line of sight of the windows a little. The woman with the rope was untwining it, and she tied the two men up with quick, expert rope-work.

            Therese looked at the broken glass. She went and got a broom and a dust pan. She wandered back out, thinking to clear the glass away.

            "You should leave that for a moment until the police arrive. They'll prefer the scene to be undisturbed," the woman said.

            Therese put the broom aside and waited, watching the two women in silence. The light-haired woman put on a pair of sunglasses and a scarf. She stood aloof and seemed to begin shopping around a little while the other woman mainly spoke with a rather calm and steady police officer who came, a man with a mustache and a large belly. He was joined by a pair of slighter and much more high strung policemen, who moved anxiously about the shop and made Therese feel more nervous. They took statements, made a general fuss, and replaced the rope around the apprehended men's wrists with handcuffs and made off with them, while the other policeman remained.

            He put tape and a few boards across the broken window. He asked Therese to close shop for the day. She asked him if she could clean up the glass now and began when he nodded. He lingered a little longer, and Therese felt certain he was trying to steady all their nerves.

            "Good work, lady," he said finally with a grin and tipped his cap on his way out.

            The two women waited as Therese gathered her coat, bag, and book. They stood on the sidewalk with her as she locked the broken door. On the street, they introduced themselves to Therese officially, although she had heard their names when they gave their statements. The darker-haired women who fought the two men was named Peggy Carter, and her friend's name was Angie Martinelli. Therese introduced herself and shook hands with each of them.  

            Peggy asked politely after the book under Therese's arm. She showed it with a fleeting turn of the book, assuming she would take an interest. Peggy made a delighted, "Oh!"

            "My father sent me a copy of this," Peggy said as she reached to touch the book.

            "Really?" Therese asked in clear astonishment.

            "Yes, though my French felt rusty. The English translation was possibly worse. I must say I liked it very much, though it gave me a stress-migraine for days in both languages," Peggy said.

            "I'm only partway through. It's heavy, but no more than real life," Therese said.

            "Do you have someone to go home to?" Peggy asked Therese.

            "Yes, I do," Therese said.

            "Someone who cares about you?" Angie asked as if to specify clearly.

            "Yes," Therese said.

            She actually thought to worry for the first time about the fuss Carol might make over her when she heard about this. She did not think she would mind about the window, but hearing that Therese was held at gunpoint would certainly rattle her. She felt a familiar, self-conscious silence pass for either evasion or some kind of coded, further answer between her and the two women. They seemed appeased by her answer.

            "Thank you," Therese said simply.

            "No trouble," Peggy said.

            "It was fun," Angie said with a grin.

            She winked at Therese. The women walked down the street and began to chat. They moved as if they were enjoying a casual stroll and had been this last hour. Therese watched them walking. They seemed so intimate and to enjoy one another's company fully. That part felt familiar, but their nonchalance after they had disrupted an armed robbery felt uncanny. _What world are they from?_ Therese found herself thinking. She turned and began to slowly make her way home.


	2. Hand-Fed Toast and Serenity

            Therese sat at Carol's kitchen table with the paper, trying to care about what it said. The men and few other women at the Times always wanted to talk all about the news and how the paper turned out. She only ever had any strong opinions about the photography, but still it was nice to be able to keep up with what they were saying. She felt distracted this morning by Carol. She was only trying to make coffee and toast, as usual. She was still attempting to light the burners. She seemed to having a rough time of it. Therese felt a bit distressed by the feel coming off her.

            Therese sat back and watched Carol. She got a handle on her own feelings and did not feel so compelled to interfere as she would have some months ago. This morning, she felt aware of a pattern as she let herself calmly witness Carol. Carol seemed distracted and moved in an agitated, almost unbalanced manner. She seemed not to be really seeing what was in front of her. Always, Therese thought, Carol grew distressed like this early in the morning or right after work in the early evening. She realized today that those were the times in the past when Harge would have been home, coming from or going to work. She had never considered this before.

            As she watched now, she could almost feel that Carol was not breathing fully. She got up and came over to her, as Carol put out another match with a sharp profanity. Carol seemed surprised by Therese's approach and became more still. She wrapped her arms around Carol's waist. She let her lips press to the fabric of her robe against her shoulder. She felt Carol give a deep breath after a moment and place her hands on Therese's arm.

            "I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me this morning," Carol said.

            Therese found herself shushing Carol gently. She rocked her back and forth a bit and kissed her shoulder. She heard Carol give a faint laugh at her calming gesture. She turned around to face Therese, and they smiled at one another.  

            "I'm disrupting the peace of your morning?" Carol teased her.

            Therese felt her eyebrows furrow at that. It did not sound like something Carol would say. She shook her head.

            "What's that supposed to mean?" Therese asked her.

            "I have no idea," Carol said.

            "I'm no nun. I don't need a quiet morning of contemplation. You can cuss and rattle the dishes all you like, my love," Therese said.

            "My angel," Carol said in a tone that made light of an authentic feeling of relief that she clearly felt in hearing Therese's light response.

            "You're taking up too much space in your own house, woman," Therese joked and smiled warmly at Carol.

            "Ah, yes. That must be the trouble," Carol said as she tried to play along with Therese's sarcasm.  

            "I want you to hand feed me serenity and toast before work, or else I'll go to God and the president over your refusal to pay me my rights," Therese said.

            Carol laughed fully at this, and Therese drew her into an embrace. When she let go, Therese took up the matches and lit the burner. Carol watched her a moment and went about getting the coffee together. Therese saw her hands shaking, but she seemed somewhat more put together and connected with the present. They stood at the counter near one another and made their simple breakfast. They took it back to the kitchen table.

            Therese gave up on the paper. She was looking at Carol in her pajamas and robe and thinking that if she had time, she would take her right back to bed. Usually, they had a pattern of being together two nights in a row and then apart for one. Carol wanted Therese every night, but she found that she would get too sleepy to do well at work. A night to get to bed early on her own every few nights solved the problem. It was Friday, however, and Carol also had Saturday off.

            "Should we stay at your place tonight or mine?" Therese asked her.  

            "We won't be far from here," Carol said. "We're meeting your guardian angels tonight for dinner."

            "Oh, right!" Therese said and thought that she must not be quite awake yet. Two nights staying with Carol were catching up with her. "I'm excited to see them again."

            "You don't seem very shaken up by the whole ordeal," Carol said.

            "I mean, I was at the time. In hindsight, though, I don't think I was ever the one in any real danger," Therese said.

            "You don't consider being held at gunpoint any real danger?" Carol said.

            Therese saw how stressed Carol still felt over the ordeal in her expression. She reached out and took her hand. She kept holding onto it and eating with the other.

            "I think you'll see more of what I mean once you really get a chance to meet them," Therese said.

            On Sunday, the day after the attempted robbery, Peggy and Angie had come back to the furniture store. Carol and Abby were both working the store. They had obviously expected to find Therese working alone and possibly scared. They asked about her, and Carol figured out right away who they were. The said they had come back to buy Angie a new bed. She already had one picked out from before. Carol helped them, and she invited the two to come out for dinner under the pretense that she and Therese were friends. They did not seem to question her inclination to take them out for helping Therese in the slightest, and they set a plan for Friday.

            "Well, I hope I won't get a chance to see them in action, as you have," Carol said.

            Therese made a slight, involuntary laugh. She could not help but thinking, _I wouldn’t' mind seeing them in action_. Honestly, she thought she was like a sixteen-year-old boy sometimes. Carol caught the naughty edge to her giggle and gave her sharp eyes of curiosity. She smiled even though she could not quite read her thoughts. She had already told Carol she thought the two women might be lovers.

            "Anything is possible," Carol had said.

            "It'll be nice to go out with someone," Carol said now.

            Therese smiled at this. She knew that Carol meant for the two of them to go out with some other people together. Carol always went out on nights she had to herself. Still, the two of them never really went out together. They did not have any mutual friends. Therese did not mind, but she wondered what it might be like to know some more women like themselves.

            She would notice certain women and wonder. They could not be alone in their experience. But well-maintained secrecy kept her from ever really getting to know. All those stories sat hidden and separate. She hoped one day the threads would being to pull themselves together and form a larger picture for her to see, a picture of the lives of women in love with one another, taking risks to be together, and managing to live well. There would be a lot of sad stories, as well, she thought. She did not think that Angie and Peggy's story would be one of them.


	3. I Think We're All Friends Here

            Carol and Therese arrived at the restaurant early, so Carol could wade through anyone she recognized and be available when their own party came to meet them. They were just settling down, when Peggy and Angie arrived. They greeted Carol and Therese. Therese noticed Peggy glancing over their table and looking about the room.

            "Do you mind if we move back a little?" Angie said.

            "Not at all," Carol said.

            They moved tables to one towards the back of the room. Angie sat with her back to the entry, and Peggy sat against the wall looking out over the room. Therese noticed her scanning with a casual demeanor like she was keeping an eye to see if she recognized anyone. For a moment, she thought that Peggy might be expecting to see someone she knew. She remembered how she had noticed the man in the shop even before he pulled his gun and guessed that it was simple habit.

            "I hope you don't mind, but my husband, Daniel, is going to catch up with us here at eight," Peggy said.

            "There's a Mr. Carter then?" Carol said.

            Carol made the faintest gesture with her hand on her water glass, as she looked at Therese. _Ah, well_ , she could almost hear Carol saying in her mind. She supposed she had guessed wrong. Angie laughed just a little, and Peggy smiled over at her.

            "Mr. Sousa, actually. I kept my last name when we married," Peggy said.

            "You can do that?" Therese asked.

            "If you don't mind a verbal boxing match with the state, yes," Peggy said.

            "I like that," Therese said.

            "How about you, then, Ms. Aird?" Peggy asked.

            She seemed to be trying to be polite by asking. Therese saw Carol cock her head as her ear caught on the strange title – Ms. She intuited at once what it meant, neither Miss or Mrs., a simple title for a woman that did not assumer her connections to a man. Therese could see that Carol liked this and felt even more inclined to like Ms. Carter.

            "I'm divorced, actually," Carol said. "I kept my last name, so it would match still with my daughter's. Do you have any children, Ms. Carter?"

            "I have two, a son and a daughter," Peggy said.

            "Do they have your husband's name?" Carol asked.

            "No, they have mine," Peggy said.

            "Well," Carol said, as if that was just about the damnedest thing she had ever heard. She clearly liked this very much.

            "Is your divorce settled?" Peggy asked in a tone of authentic concern.

            "For now. I'd like to reopen the custody case sometime, but now is not the moment," Carol said.

            Therese guessed that Peggy Carter read about a hundred small nuances off Carol, even as postured as she was. Her brows were furrowed, and she looked concerned. She did not ask anything more.

            "Being a woman is not for the frail of heart," Angie said.

            "We should toast to that," Carol said. They paused as the waiter came and took their drink orders. The table was still after he left.

            "How about you, sweetie?" Angie asked Therese.

            Peggy must have noticed something in her tone, because she looked closed at Angie. She looked over at Therese again. Therese thought that Angie had guessed that she and Carol were lovers already.

            "No, I'm not married," Therese said, and she felt unusually comfortable when she did.

            "Carol said you only work at the furniture store on rare occasions," Angie said.

            "Yes, I work at the Times," Therese said, "In photography."

            "Is it a good environment?" Peggy asked.

            No one had ever asked Therese that before. They always just said something about how good the job must be. She considered for a moment.

            "I like it well enough. There are enough good photographers there that I get to learn a lot. I imagine when that wears out, I'll wear out, as well," Therese said.

            "Imagine getting held up at your side job," Angie said.

            She shook her head.

            "Better than at the Times, I guess," Therese said. "I have to go there everyday."

            "You're a strange form of optimist," Carol said to her.

            Therese sat back and smiled at her.

            "Are you married Ms. Martinelli?" Carol asked.

            Angie laughed a short laugh as if this were the funniest concept in the world.

            "No," she said pointedly.

            "How do you keep yourself occupied then?" Carol asked her.

            "I'm an actress, actually," Angie said.

            The waiter came back with their drinks.

            "Really?" Carol said. "Anything we would have seen?"

            "Maybe so," Angie said vaguely, then in a rush, "Been to any stage plays lately?"

            Carol cocked her head as she considered Angie. She seemed to have missed this last question. Therese wondered what she was thinking.

            "You do look very familiar, Ms. Martinelli," Carol said.

            Therese saw Angie almost flinch. She held onto her drink with one hand and squinted her eyes. Her tone came out flat.

            "Mm, yeah. I used to work in film quite a bit," Angie said.

            "Oh, good grief, of course you did! You're Angie Sutton, the film star," Carol said. She put her hand over Angie's hand and took in a deep, exaggerated gasp. She looked over at Therese, who was quite clearly astonished. "Oh, I used to love you in all those pictures!"

            "Well, that makes one of us," Angie said.

            "Oh, come! Surely you must be proud of your work," Carol said.

            Therese felt like she was seeing Angie again anew. She could not imagine how she had missed it before. Her mind felt stunned as she remembered several of Angie's roles in films. She never really imagined meeting a film star in real life like this. She looked smaller and thinner than Therese would have imagined.

            "You were wonderful," Therese said.

            "You two are both sweet," Angie said before she returned to Carol's question. "Nah', but I am proud of some of the stage work I've done since then. Turns out, you can have even the finest thing in the world, but if it's not what you really want, it ain't nothin'," Angie said.

            "Isn't that the truth," Carol said.

            "Is that why you wanted to switch tables?" Therese asked.

            "Part of it, yeah," Angie said. "And so Peg can monitor the room."

            Therese could see that Peggy did not like that Angie had mentioned this. She liked that sort of thing to go unnoticed Therese imagined. Angie did not look very apologetic. The table settled down a little bit. Angie seemed somewhat embarrassed to Therese. Carol seemed to have caught onto that already and had dropped the subject.

            "What do you do, Ms. Aird?" Peggy asked. "Are you an artist, as well?"

            "Good God, no," Carol said and scoffed a laugh.

            "She has other talents," Therese said.

            Peggy watched Angie cock her head, grin, and take a drink from her glass.

            "I bet," Angie said. Carol explained about the furniture store.

            "I hear you have other talents, as well, Ms. Carter," Carol said.

            Peggy cleared her throat, as Angie chuckled a bit over her glass.

            "Yes, well, Therese got rather the promotional," Peggy said.

            "Rough stuff. Are you a military woman?" Carol asked.

            "I was," Peggy said, "During wartime. I did government work for a while after. Now, I'm an independent woman. I take jobs on my own."

            "I imagine that’s colorful," Carol said.

            "If I couldn't turn down nine out of ten offers, I would change my line of work," Peggy said.

            "And what does your husband do?" Carol asked.

            "He was a government man, as well, after the war. Now he does union work, and he runs a sailing school down on the waterfront," Peggy said.

            "Well," Carol said impressed.

            "It only took us all about ten, fifteen years to get things ironed out, but now we're doing well enough," Peggy said.

            Angie tilted her glass at Peggy. Therese thought that "we" was interesting. She could see that clearly included Angie, though they had been talking about Peggy and her husband's work.

            They kept on chatting this way as they ordered dinner. The food came quickly, and everyone was quiet as they began to eat. Carol was delighted when both Angie and Peggy loved their meals. They talked over each dish and tasted one another's food. Therese smiled at that. She could not remember ever seeing women enjoy food so unselfconsciously. The contrast made her aware of how anxious she felt about food all the time, still wondering if she were ordering the right things and overly concerned about her weight. Carol would occasionally surface a sudden worry that Therese was growing too thin and wonder if she was all right. That was all she ever said or even seemed to perceive about Therese's weight, even though she saw her naked all the time. Maybe she should think about it more, she realized. It would be nice to feel better about food.

            Therese found both Peggy and Angie interesting enough not to mind the small talk as they all ate. She never knew what to say unless asked a question in these early, tentative parts of relationships. She felt more comfortable once she knew people as more than a rattling of facts that felt like they were not rooted in anything of substance. They could never tell you where a person found enough meaning to keep alive or who and what they loved. Those were the interesting things, and they did not come easily or right away. Even the scope of someone's suffering usually stayed hidden for a long time.

            They finished dinner, and they relied on Carol's expertise to order them a round of the best desserts with tea and coffee. Peggy gestured towards a man as he came into the restaurant, and Therese saw him wave back mildly. She guessed it to be eight o'clock. Peggy introduced her husband Daniel to everyone, as the waiter brought him a chair. He shook hands with Carol and Therese and kissed Peggy on the cheek with a casual tenderness that Therese liked to see between them.

            "You don't mind being the odd man out?" Carol asked.

            "Well, I don't mind being the odd man, anyways," Daniel said, as he took off his coat and prepared to sit.

            "Evening, sugar," Angie said to Daniel.

            "How's it going, spotlight?" Daniel asked her. He reached around Peggy to touch Angie on the shoulder, and she put her hand on his. Their hands caught at each other's for a second, as he let go and sat. Carol glanced curiously at Therese. They were no Abby and Harge, that was for sure.

            "Are you hungry?" Peggy asked.

            "Yeah," Daniel said.

            "We're lingering over drinks. You could order something," Peggy said.

Carol glanced around for a menu.

            "Order me whatever you had?" Daniel said.

            "Sure thing," Peggy said.

            She reached over and squeezed Daniel's leg without a thought. Therese saw the quality of how she touched his leg and thought very plainly, _She's with both of them_. But that did not seem to make sense. She thought perhaps Daniel was oblivious to Peggy and Angie's relationship. Peggy did not seem like the duplicitous type. Peggy took a drink from her glass and put it down closer to Daniel. Daniel took a modest drink from Peggy's glass.

            "Jack and Horace," Peggy said to him suddenly.

            Daniel looked over his shoulder with a sharp glance, as if expecting an attack and trying not to give it away.

            "Grand," Daniel said miserably.

            Their table was interrupted about a minute later by a group of what were clearly government men. As if shielding the rest of them, Daniel got up and ushered them to a table of their own, where he sat down with them. Peggy followed after him. She did not sit, but touched Daniel's shoulders and stood behind him.   Carol used the disruption to light herself a cigarette.

            "How long have you known Peggy?" Therese asked Angie.

            "Oh, a good while now," Angie said. "We parted ways for a time and came back together again."

            "That sounds familiar," Carol said.

            Angie considered Carol a moment. Therese wondered how much she could read off Carol. Her poise made her quite inaccessible to most people, but Angie did not seem like one of them.

            "I bet," Angie said.

            "Was she married when you met?" Therese asked.

            "No," Angie said.

            "Carol was still married when we met, but already divorcing," Therese said.

            Carol looked hard at Therese. She was not usually forward with any such information. She trusted Therese's judgment, even though she was clearly surprised that she trusted Angie this much already. Peggy came back to their table.

            "Daniel's determined to lie down on the wire," Peggy said. "We'll have to keep this quick, otherwise I'll be forced to go back and join him."

            "The duties of marriage never retire," Carol said.

            "It's my conscience," Peggy said. "No one deserves that, especially Daniel. I can't leave the man by himself with that lot."

            "Solidarity forever," Angie joked and raised her fist faintly. "We'll clear out of here in no time."

            "Sad to scrap that dinner order," Peggy said. "He would have liked it."

            Angie took another drink from her glass. She seemed to want to pick things up where they left off. Therese thought that was difficult when talking around things the way they still were.

            "Are you and Daniel friends?" Therese asked Angie.

            "Yep. He's a good one to have, too, loves Peggy as much as I do, which is really saying something," Angie said.

            Peggy seemed surprised by Angie's comment. Angie smiled at her a bit. She took a sip from her glass.

            "I think we're all friends here," Angie said.

            Carol caught that phrase. She leaned back into her chair. She tapped her cigarette and seemed unsure of what to make of this.

            "Well," Carol said. "Therese thought so, but your friend bringing a husband along threw me."

            Peggy had glanced over at Daniel, and Therese noticed that she turned back a bit quickly. She seemed to catch up on what was happening at once. She grinned.

            "Everyone knows what's going on but me," Peggy said with a shake of her head.

            "Takes one to know one, perhaps," Carol said.

            Therese considered this. Clearly, Carol thought that Angie was like them and Peggy was not. Therese was not so sure about that.

            "I'd have caught on by now, surely," Peggy said, "If it was catching."

            "You'd have everything I could give ya'," Angie said with a suppressed grin.

            "Is that right?" Carol asked her.

            "Apparently, my capacities for observation are limited," Peggy said, clearly irritated by this idea.

            "You can only tell who's dangerous," Angie said matter-of-factly.

            "Is that true?" Therese asked.

            "Yes, I suppose it is," Peggy said.

            "Guess that's how you chose your husband," Therese said.

            Peggy smiled at her at this.

            "So who's most dangerous in this room, then? Have you cased the joint while we were sitting here?" Carol said.

            Peggy smiled softly. There seemed to be a sort of a challenge in that from Carol. Therese thought Peggy might not answer. She leaned back a little in her chair and put her hand on her glass.

            "As far as relative strangers go, I should say you are, Ms. Aird," Peggy said.

            Carol laughed fully at this.

            "And also the young man running the coat check," Peggy said.

            "Why that scrawny, little thing?" Carol said.

            "He's been in some type of combat. He moves fast, and he's observant. Not too edgy, though. Nothing I'd worry about, but if we needed someone in a pinch, I'd grab him," Peggy answered.

            "So why am I dangerous, then?" Carol asked.

            "I don't know yet entirely," Peggy said. "You have a strength about you. You're the only one here who seems like you could hide something vital without sweating, by my professional estimation."

            "Oh, I've done rather a poor job of hiding in the past," Carol said.

            "I simply mean you appear to have a great strength of will," Peggy said. "One has to calculate for more than just the fighters." She looked over at Daniel again. "He looks miserable," Peggy said to Angie.

            Daniel seemed to Therese to be laughing and enjoying himself. She imagined Peggy was right. When you really knew someone, you could see through to what was really happening. Angie nodded. She had expertly flagged their waiter already. She could command a room if she wanted, Therese thought, much like Carol. She preferred to keep back. They gathered their things, and Peggy went promptly across the room with that same fierce step she had in the shop as she crossed from the back to intercept the robber and rescued Daniel.

            Out on the sidewalk, everyone seemed to breath a sigh of relief. They chatted and found that they were walking the same direction. Therese suggested that they turn and skirt along the edge of Central Park for a bit. Angie agreed at once as she loved the park, and everyone else went along with the idea. They talked a bit about New York and the coming of fall.

            "Mind if I stop?" Daniel asked the others when they neared a hot dog vendor. He had not eaten yet, Therese remembered. Everyone gathered to wait for him. "Want one, Peg?" he asked.

            "Why not?" Peggy said.

            Daniel came back with two hot dogs in each hand. Three were dressed the same and one without mustard. He tried to hand just that one to Peggy. Angie laughed at him and took two from him, and he ate the first one quickly. Therese found herself astonished to watch Peggy eat a hot dog only minutes after finishing an entire dinner with dessert. She did not seem the least bit deterred, and the change in the quality of the fare did not seem to affect her either.  

            "Not bad," Peggy said in between bites.

            Daniel made a sound of agreement. They made short work of their hot dogs and tossed the papers in a trash bin. Daniel breathed a relaxed sigh as he wiped his hands and mouth on a handkerchief and handed it to Peggy to use. After he put it away, Therese saw Peggy reach out and run her hand down the back of his arm. The way she touched his body, a sort of knowing and precise touch, and the way that she ran her hand down his arm as if to simply enjoy the feel of its shape, Therese felt certain they were really genuine lovers. When they came to the edge of the park, Daniel checked his watch.

            "Do you still want to get to Christina's before nine?" Daniel asked Peggy.

            "We had best be off to retrieve our children," Peggy said.

            Everyone shook hands and shared a pleasant round of farewells.

            "We'll have to come see one of your plays sometime," Carol said.

            "If you're interested," Angie said. "We could meet up after."

            "Sorry for the disruption before," Daniel said.

            "Happens all the time in our world," Carol said. "Perhaps you'd like to come around to have dinner in private sometime."

            "Let's trade numbers," Angie said at once.

            Daniel produced a pad of paper and a pen from his jacket pocket. Angie wrote down her number and jotted down Carol's. She tore the paper out, then tore away the half with her number and gave it to Carol.

            They all said goodnight, and Therese and Carol began the walk to Carol's apartment.

            "What a strange little family," Carol said.

            "I'll say," Therese said, "In the best kind of way."

            Carol made a sound of stern agreement. Therese took Carol's arm on the quiet street and tried not to be too self-conscious about being seen. She felt glad they would see Angie and Peggy again and probably Daniel, as well. He seemed nice. And she was looking forward to being home with Carol now where they could talk freely and be who they were without having to keep up their guards. She related somewhat to Peggy moving their tables and constantly scanning the room. Except Peggy seemed good enough at it that she did not have to feel nervous the entire time. Therese wondered how that might feel.


	4. Those Moments, You Know

            "Want to come have a look?" Carol asked.

            She was opening the oven to test the roast chicken. She had a thermometer and worked it in close to the bone. She stood back and closed the door a little to let it read properly.

            "No, I think I'll just sit here and enjoy the view," Therese said.

            "Enjoy the vi—" Carol started to repeat in order to process what she said, then she got it.

            Therese smiled at her. Carol moved around, so Therese could get a better view of her from behind as she bent over again. Therese gave a deep chuckle of delight at this. Carol stood up and set the timer. She was laughing a little, as well, as she came over to Therese. She stepped right in close to her and stood between her knees. Therese looked up at her. Carol bent down to her, so they could kiss. They kiss they shared was a tender and sweet one, pressed right up against the edge of passion.

            "A few more minutes," Carol said as she stood back.

            "Okay," Therese said.            

            "We can load it all into the oven and keep it on warm," Carol said.

            "They should be here around half past six," Therese said.

            Carol sat down at the table across from Therese.

            "You don't suppose that Daniel felt the invite was not genuine?" Carol said.

            Carol had taken care to invite all three of them to dinner this time, but it was just Angie and Peggy who were coming over tonight.

            "Oh, I don't think so. He seems pretty comfortable about himself," Therese said. She thought for a moment and added, "Was it genuine?"

            "I liked him just fine," Carol said.

            "Me, too," Therese said.

            "It takes a little while to warm up to strange men. Perhaps he fancies men, and they're covering up for each other. That'd make me like him quicker – even the risks," Carol said.

            "I never thought of that possibility," Therese said. "I mean, maybe he likes boys, but I think he definitely likes Peggy."

            "They do seem rather in love," Carol said.

            "I think they're lovers. I mean real lovers like us," Therese said.

            "Like us," Carol said and leaned back in her chair. She liked that, Therese could see. Carol casually lit herself a cigarette.

            "I'm just sure that Peggy and Angie are together, as well," Therese said.

            "Angie said as much," Carol said, "More or less. They could be former lovers."

            "I think it's possible that Peggy just loves them both, and they know all about each other," Therese said.

            "Anything is possible," Carol said.

            "I mean, you love whomever you love. Maybe sometimes it ends up being more than one person, you know?" Therese said.

            Carol nodded as she smoked. They finished up their cooking. Therese got down some dishes. When the bell rang, Therese went down to the door. She came back with Peggy and Angie. Angie was carrying a basket and came into the kitchen where Carol was standing. They all said hello.

            "I come bearing gifts," Angie said.

            She put the basket on the table and began to unload it. She brought out red wine first and sat it on the table. She pulled out another.  

            "Two bottles," Angie said, "Enough to keep us talking freely without us risking all winding up in bed together."

            Carol laughed harder at this than Therese would have imagined. She could not help but laugh herself. Angie had a way about her.

            "Also, the finest bakery bread you can find in New York. Believe me, I've looked. Some rather fine Italian olive oil and… a bit roasted garlic to go with it," Angie said.

            "Well, well! We'll have to invite you 'round again," Carol said.

            Angie whipped off her coat. Peggy was shaking her head in astonishment at Angie. She had walked over to the windows to catch the street view as she took off her own coat. Therese wondered if she already knew where all the exits were.

            "Let me take those for you," Therese said.

            They both thanked her, as she took their coats back into the front room and hung them quickly on the hall tree. She came back into the kitchen.

            "Thanks for inviting us over," Angie said.

            "Of course," Carol said.

            "Great place. Domestic spaces are my favorite. God, I love a kitchen," Angie said. "Mind if I nose around a little?"

            "Not at all," Carol said. "I'd give you the three-penny tour, but I'm afraid this is it. I can take you through the rest of the house if you like."

            "That'd be lovely," Peggy said.

            "Great fridge," Angie said.

            Carol took Peggy around, while Angie clung to the kitchen, claiming that she would find her way into nosing around without assistance. Therese took everything out of the oven. Angie smiled at the sight of their meal, a roast chicken with potatoes and carrots. Carol and Peggy came back shortly. Angie nodded over at Peggy, as she got out their bread.

            "Peg's good with the knife work," Angie said. "You ought to let her carve that bird."

            "That is a fact," Peggy said.

            She came over. Therese relinquished the task to Peggy. She offered her a knife block. Peggy honed the largest knife in the block expertly and asked for an apron. Angie got a bottle opener from Therese and popped the corks on both bottles of wine. With all four women managing the meal, they were sat down to eat within only a few minutes.

            They were quieter, as they got their plates together. Their chicken turned out perfectly, and Peggy had carved it beautifully. The potatoes and carrots were both good, not too soft. And Angie's wine was delicious and quite drinkable. Her bread and olive oil with roasted garlic was even better. Therese noticed again how much both Peggy and Angie enjoyed food as they ate. They complimented each dish and savored their meal for a while.

            "How do you like your new bed?" Carol asked Angie.

            "I love it, thanks," Angie said. "Plenty of room, and I love that fancy headboard." She peeked over at Peggy, knowing she would rattle her. "Peg likes it, too."

            Peggy was taking a drink from her wine and cleared her throat afterwards. Angie chuckled and looked at Therese and Carol. They sat unaffected.

            "It's lovely," Peggy said about the bed.

            "I hope you'll say so if it's prying, but does your husband know about you and Angie, Ms. Carter?" Carol said.

            "Of course, he does," Peggy said. "He was a trained detective before we met. I'm good at the more clandestine elements of my work, but I’m not as good as that."

            "Doesn’t that trouble you?" Carol asked.

            "I trust my husband," Peggy said.

            "Me, too," Angie said, "And I ain't an easy sell on men."

            "I don't know if I could trust anyone over the years. People change their minds. They change altogether," Carol said.

            "Daniel is very steady. And I must say, once you're highly trained in combatives, infiltration, and timed explosives, everyday men lose a certain amount of their capacity to threaten. Not to imply that Daniel is average in any way. He's excellent."

            "Seems an usual arrangement," Carol said.

            "We've lived unusual lives. It could have worked out in a hundred different ways," Peggy said. "I just got lucky."

            "Sorry for being so blatantly curious," Carol said. "I don't intend to make you into an object of scrutiny. It's just rare to see a man in the thick of these things. I'd find it refreshing, but I'm still a bit thrown."

            "It's nice to be able to talk openly with someone," Angie said.

            Peggy nodded in agreement.

            "Do you know anyone else like us?" Therese asked.

            "We know some," Angie said.

            "I know a lot of women with rather nontraditional views about gender roles," Peggy said. "So we're not entirely a closed book."

            "Any of Daniel's friends know?" Therese asked.

            "Only his best friend, Jake, as far as I know," Peggy said.

            "I think Daniel prefers the company of women, in general," Angie said. "Personally, I like to think of him more as an honorary, male lesbian. But that might be to manage my own limitations."

            Everyone laughed at this.

            "How does he like that?" Carol asked.

            "He blushed like I kissed him when I said it to his face," Angie said.

            "He liked it," Peggy confirmed. "He likes men well enough, just usually at a bit of a distance. I feel about the same."

            "Therese has some close male friends," Carol said, "That I used to think she was keeping on the side, you know, prospective marriages in the wings, just in case."

            "You're just saying that to bother me," Therese said casually. "Your husband sounds like me, too. I don't like most men. They bother me, mostly. I have a few good friends, though. They're different."

            "How so?" Angie asked.

            "They don't bother me," Therese said with a shrug.

            Angie laughed hard at this. Peggy just shrugged in agreement.

            "I got dibs on the first round of dishes," Angie said.

            "Oh, leave them. We'll get to them later," Carol said.

            "It's my social conditioning, deeply engrained. I can't leave a kitchen with dirty dishes in it," Angie said.

            "I'll help you," Therese said. "But, no dishes for you," Therese said to Carol in a stern tone.  
            "I can take a share," Carol said lightly.

            "No. No way. Out of the kitchen," Therese teased. "Don't make me hire Peggy to detain you."

            Peggy laughed at this.

            "I'll detain her for free, come on," Peggy said.

            She touched Carol's shoulder. The two of them came into the living room. Carol put her wine down and got a cigarette from the box on the mantel.

            "Therese is always shooing me away from domestic duties," Carol said.

            "Why do you think that is?" Peggy asked lightly.

            "Thinks it brings up bad memories," Carol said.

            "Does it?" Peggy asked her, more curious.

            Carol shrugged.

            "Therese worries about me," Carol said. "She thinks I'm rather the worse for wear after all that's happened."

            "You must have had a hell of time, becoming separated from your daughter. How do things stand? You don't have any legal custody, do you?" Peggy asked.

            "No. It's been nearly two years, seeing her every other week," Carol said. "She calls me most nights for a little while before bed. That's something. But it's not the same as having me when she wants me."

            "Will you try to get her back?" Peggy asked.

            "I wouldn't win in any court. Harge knows about Therese and I, and he's not above using that against me. He's proven that in the past. I haven't given up all hope. I never will," Carol said. "Harge let me see her a couple of times, when she wouldn't stop crying. He's not heartless. He's more bitter with me over our failed marriage. I keep thinking he'll get involved with someone new, find she's in the way a bit more. Something like that. Or maybe he'll just soften and grow less bitter over time."

            "With you and Therese still together?" Peggy said, clearly skeptical.

            "He'll get over it," Carol said sharply. "For fuck's sake. Imagine a millionaire being bitter over his ex-wife's love affair with a clerk. He'll find someone new and fine, some younger woman. That'll stoke his ego again. Then it'll be easier. At least, that's what I'm counting on happening."

            "She's a woman. I doubt he'll get over that," Peggy said.

            She saw Carol's hands shaking as she tried to light her cigarette. She picked up her wine after she succeeded and took a long drink from it. She seemed to Peggy to be bolstering herself. She let her drink and smoke for a moment without disrupting her.

            "I wish I'd waited, given him less reason to hate me," Carol said.

            "I doubt that would have changed the game in your favor," Peggy said.

            "Well, I played badly either way. I lost Rindy. That was the real prize, and Harge knew it," Carol said.

            "You think he wanted her as bad as you did?" Peggy asked.

            Carol made an open gesture with her hands.

            "He cares about her, sure," Carol said. "He's not unfeeling."

            "But?" Peggy said.

            "He was trying to prove something more – to me. He agreed to the divorce. Then he doubled back on it. I think it just rattled him, losing that much control. He tried to use Rindy as a bargaining chip," Carol said.

            "To keep you in the marriage?" Peggy asked.

            "He was under a lot of pressure from his family, as well," Carol said. "Divorce is expensive. And I'm worth some money."

            "But you divorced him anyway and lost Rindy?" Peggy asked.

            "He figured out about Therese and me, before it was settled. Sent some surveillance man after us and got evidence that we were lovers. I gave him Rindy to stop it going to court," Carol said.

            "That was wise," Peggy said.

            "Was it?" Carol asked.

            Peggy caught the unusual edge of vulnerability in her voice.

            "Caught between a rock and a hard place like that, it's best to retreat and offset losses," Peggy said.

            "That's nice of you to say," Carol said. "I don’t get much assurance from anyone qualified to say much."

            "It takes a strength to know when you cannot win the day and face it straight on," Peggy said.

            Carol stood with her hand on the mantelpiece. She leaned her forehead into it. She took a drag off her cigarette.

            "I suppose Therese is right about me. I lost something other than a daughter. I lost all my fucking composure, as well," Carol said. She took a drag from her cigarette and waved her hand at Peggy. "Forgive me," she said.

            "You see this," Peggy said. She came and showed Carol a scar at the edge of her hairline. "I got seven stitches in that. I ran into a shelf in a canteen, just walked right into it. I'd been in there dozens of times before. But that was right after the first week I sat through heavy bombings. Everyone goes numb. You see it when you come into a place after they've been under the rain. Their faces are blank. If you feel everything, you can't carry on.

            "People think shell shock is only the tremors and delusions. Those are some the worst symptoms. It shows itself in much more subtle ways, as well. A strange quiet, a sort of pained unfeeling. I see it in women all the time.

            "I watched Angie wade through it. Not to get me, mind, that was easy enough. But to get to what we have together now," Peggy said.

            "I worry about Therese, you know. Because she can feel that I have regrets. I replay in my head over and over. I try to think of some other way it could have gone. I worry she feels I don't love her entirely because of it," Carol said.

            "You've paid a high price to be with her, it seems," Peggy said. "I'm sure she knows that."

            "I don't know if it can feel the same, you know," Carol said. "It really is better this way, though, given the real alternatives. I couldn't bear living another week with every truth about myself dressed up and presented as what someone else wanted to see. I think it would have driven me mad, eventually."            

            "Believe when I say that I know what you mean," Peggy said. "So much of my life has been kept in secrecy, since I was eighteen and joined the service. Angie was the first person I was ever even a position to tell the entire truth, and I didn't even know it all myself. I wasn't as brave as a I had thought. But I got more brave under Angie's influence. She led me through parts of myself I didn't know yet.

            "Daniel is the same way, really. He leads to me see what I won't face about the truth and my own vulnerability. I thought I could go the rest of my life never taking Angie into my arms again. Daniel called me out and made me face that it wasn't true. The both of them, they want all of me, entire. You understand what I mean? I think that's how you know who really loves you – who even can. Those people who desire you to be complete, one whole person without all these tears and splits from fitting yourself into a place that suits them more easily," Peggy said.

            "I tried to tell Harge that in the end. What kind of mother would I have been, all twisted out of shape?" Carol said.

            "Is it regrets, then? Or just missing your daughter?" Peggy asked. "That'll cause enough injury on its own to change who you feel you are."

            "I think it's much more the latter," Carol said. "Women lose children all the time in court, and they often gain far less than I did. There are those moments, you know, when life feels like it's simply enough. Therese came over early here recently and found me still in the bath. She insisted I stay in and brought a stool from the kitchen to sit beside me. We didn't even kiss, she just sat with me and touched me, my face and my shoulders – a simple gesture, you know? In moments like that, there's a sort of peace that comes, a fullness. I never knew anything like that in marriage, not even in its finest times. And every past pain and threat of any pain to come seems not to go away but to lose its dread, somehow. It's as if you've known this richness in life, the purest taste of something so sweet, you can't even ask if you're deserving of it. No one is, really. You just have to embrace it and aspire to honor that experience and not forget how it felt."

            "You've lived a brave life, Ms. Aird. This world is not designed to women's advantage, but to disenfranchise us at every turn. You've held onto what's most precious, even if your daughter is kept distant from you," Peggy said.

            "That's a fine thing to hear from someone who's clearly as strong as yourself," Carol said.

            "It's the truth. I know the heroic when I see it, believe me. And it takes on many forms," Peggy said. "Even the finest of us suffer losses in the midst of war."

            "I never thought I'd think of myself as being at war with my own husband," Carol said.

            "You're only a small part of a much larger war for women's equality," Peggy said, "And it will not be easily or cheaply won."

            Angie popped her head into the room from the kitchen.  

            "Hey, Peg, want to see some of Therese's photography?" Angie said. "I talked her into it."

            "You charmer," Carol said.

            "Of course," Peggy said.

            She made a sort of grave nod to Carol, who followed after her. They looked over Therese's pictures for a long while. Peggy stood quiet. She always marveled at the work of artists. Angie had a lot to say. She understood a little about visual imagery from her work in film, and she was very complimentary. She came up with a few ideas to try to get Therese connections and some sales.

            The sat in Carol's living room and enjoyed a lighter conversation for a good while. Peggy finally checked the clock. She wanted to get back before her children went to bed. They slowly gathered themselves and said their farewells. Therese took them down to the door. Angie promised to get Therese in touch with a few people over her photography, reaffirming what she had said to her before.

            On their way out the door, Peggy turned back to Therese.

            "By the way, what was the name of the gentlemen who provided the surveillance services for Mr. Aird?" Peggy asked.

            Therese felt surprised that Peggy knew about this. She could not see any reason not to tell her, so she did. She wondered if she might know him from being in a similar line of work. She did not say as much if she did. She put on her hat and tipped it to Therese on her way out the door.


	5. For The Price Of Services

            They became friends steadily and easily over the coming months. They went out to a series of plays and walked through Central Park, once during a snowfall. They cooked and ate together. One afternoon, about three months after their first dinner together, Peggy and Angie arrived at Carol's apartment for an afternoon tea. Angie was excited about the prospect of a chocolate shop she had noticed only a few blocks down. Peggy suggested that Angie and Therese walk down to the shop. She said she wanted a short, private conversation with Carol. Therese led Angie out happily, curious about what Peggy wanted with Carol.

            "I have something for you," Peggy said.

            "Something private?" Carol asked in surprise.

            "Rather," Peggy said.

            She went and got a briefcase. The bag was not like anything Carol had seen her carry before. It was leather and sharp as a businessman's briefcase, except it was bright red. She looked out the windows, as she opened it and gathered the contents inside. Carol thought she had a distinctly professional air about her.

            She sat several files and a small package on the table. She dumped the package out, and Carol saw they were spools of recordings. She cocked her head at Peggy.

            "This is all the evidence against you. Proof of your love affair with Therese," Peggy said.

            They stared at one another across the table for a long moment in utter silence.

            "You can't be serious," Carol said.

            "I am entirely serious," Peggy said.

            "How did you get these?" Carol asked as she touched the spools.

            Peggy blanched a little at this.

            "I'd rather not discuss it. There was rather a lot of lying involved. And also some rather blatant robbery," Peggy said.

            Carol laughed a bit. She picked a spool of tape up and dropped it. She glanced at Peggy wondering if she could possibly be right about what these were. Peggy's face was the picture of severity. Carol felt for certain that it was true.

            "I'll be delighted to burn these," Carol said.

            "Make a ritual of it," Peggy said.

            "I appreciate your trying to help, but he's got confessions from me, Peg. More than one," Carol said.

            "Believe me when I tell you, they're starting from scratch," Peggy said. She pushed around files on the table. "I cleared out everything, transcripts, files, lawsuits. It's all here. I have methods of checking to make sure."

            Carol sat not knowing what to say or think in this moment.

            "Still," Peggy said. "There will always be more evidence to get for the price of services. I thought it through well before I took any action. I wouldn't put you in the same situation again, choosing between your lover and your daughter. Tell me what your goal is in this, if you find you can have your way, entirely. Do you want to win sole custody?"

            Carol nearly laughed at the question. She grew quite severe and tried to consider. Peggy saw her hand shake as she touched her brow. She sat back quite composed and serious.

            "I'd like shared custody," Carol said.

            "You can get that. I'm certain," Peggy said. "You want a formal agreement with Harge? Something he can't break?"

            "What other agreement can I trust? I'd like my daughter to be able to choose for herself where she lives and what she thinks. Including what she thinks of me," Carol said. "And also what she thinks of the other women in my life.

            "She's too young to choose for herself now. And I'm more afraid for her to become the site of a battle for her affections than I was about going to court to fight for her there without her right in the middle. At his worst, Harge would poison the well to turn her against me. She'll have her own mind as she grows older, but it won't be fair when she's young.

            "I Just don't want her to look back and wish that she had had my love. However distant, however disrupted, I want her to know that my love for her was real. Not as an idea in her mind, but in her bones. Something she can't question. So that no matter what has happened, she knows she can always come to me for anything. Every child deserves that with someone."

            Peggy sat quiet and considered Carol. She took a deep breath. She leaned forward a little towards the table.

            "I don’t know if the opposite is ever true, but I know many fine people who had absolutely miserable childhoods. The presence of love seems to be the greatest advantage," Peggy said.

            She turned another file towards Carol.

            "Here's evidence of a number of affairs Harge had during your marriage, as well as visits to a brothel. You could use that against him. Even the score," Peggy said.

            "Please," Carol said and held up her hands in front of her face as if to ward off the idea. "I'm not going after the man's sexuality. Everyone is entitled to their attempts to get some happiness, however pathetic or ignoble those attempts may be. And no judge would weigh any number of his women against even the idea of one of mine."

            "Fair enough," Peggy said. She pulled another file from the bottom. "I thought you would have qualms about that. Here is what you really need. Evidence of financial misconduct in Harge's family. I focused on him, his parents, and his stepfather, but there's evidence going back a few generations. Nothing particularly spectacular – tax shelters, money laundering, a bit of fraud. It would be enough to get the federal government up in arms. They love their money. And there is a lot of it involved. I have enough here to scare Harge off, I guarantee you that. This pile of evidence will make the suggestion of some lesbian love affair covered up by mysterious conspiracy look like desperate ploy."

            "There was a therapist," Carol said.

            "Not with any record of you as a patient, there isn't," Peggy said.

            "Is this legitimate?" Carol asked about the financial records.  

            She opened the file and looked inside.

            "Every bit of it," Peggy said.

            Carol looked at some of the contents. She sat back and looked at Peggy in astonishment.

            "How on earth did you find something like this?" Carol said.

            "I know my work," Peggy said.

            "I can't use this," Carol said.

            Peggy cleared her throat. She sat back in her chair. Carol did not mean practically. She meant emotionally. She considered for a moment, before she spoke.

            "Have you considered, Ms. Aird, the conversations with other men, perhaps some women with minds like to theirs, that led your husband to find and hire someone to pursue you? There were no mistakes made. Others, mostly other men I am certain, offered advice and resources. They helped him find a way to gain a tactical advantage. This is not the product of some emotional fit or failing on his part. This is the sheer entitlement of men and their belief in one another's right to use every advantage to shape the world into what they want.

            "I would hardly recommend that we take on similar mindsets as women. There will always be others that we might shut out and subjugate to our own advantage. But when it comes to defending yourself and those close to you, I very much believe that you should be willing to forgo empathy and assert a simple right to claim power and determine outcomes. It's not the same as forfeiting love for the sake of power. As long as you can hold onto that standard, you won't mirror Harge's indecency. Take the advantage, Carol. Not because he would, which is a given, but because a better outcome for yourself, your daughter, and everyone who loves the two of you might be obtained through such a risk."

            "Take it," Peggy said. "And should you need an attack dog in your corner, you have me."

            "You could get killed doing work like this," Carol said.

            "I could have been killed years ago in Russian, Germany, Poland," Peggy said, "Or a hundred times since then. I could be killed by any man who wants something from me and feels angry that he can't get it who loses his fear of the police. Excepting it won't be easy in my case, mind. Or I could be killed in the car on the way home or be dying of cancer as we speak without knowing it. Don't try to safeguard me. I have a express interest in living for the things I believe worth dying for in this life."

            "I could pay you for your services," Carol said, "Handsomely."

            Peggy just laughed at this.

            "You have to let me even the score in some way," Carol said.

            "That's where you're mistaken in your thinking," Peggy said. "If you broaden your scope as you consider equality, I think you and I will appear as equals."

 

            On their way back, Angie and Therese talked about Rindy, as well. They were carrying boxes of chocolates tied with ribbons home. Angie had a sort of childlike excitement in the shop that made Therese smile, and the women working behind the counters recognized her eventually. She gave them autographs before they left.

            "I think maybe Harge will come around eventually," Therese said.

            "Won't happen. They're rich," Angie said. "They go crazy. And not in the same ways the people like you and me go crazy. They'll do anything to each other over money. It's not the same as making money to live on. That's not what they're doing. It's 'wealth accrual,' for them. It's this whole, distorted ethic. They never get over a loss of money."

            "Carol is not like that," Therese said.

            "She's lucky, then," Angie said. "I got all mixed up with that way of thinking back in L.A. It was like living in a nightmare. I had a manager back then, he tried to set me up to sleep with this fancy producer. We fought, and you know what he said to me? 'I'd sleep with him myself, but you're the one who's worth money here.' He had this whole argument about how it was demeaning to people who didn't have money not to take it. Can you even imagine? Took me a long time to find my own way around all that crazy talk."

            "It is a little difficult to be around Carol's friends," Therese said. "They just feel so different from me."            

            "I bet," Angie said.

            "Carol would like me to move in with her," Therese said.

            "Sounds nice," Angie said. "I'd love to live with Peg, but it's not on the table. And I love having my own place, as well."

            "I know. It would be nice. She keeps reminding me about the all the money I could save," Therese said.

            "To spend on what, though?" Angie said. "Can't buy more freedom than your own place."

            "Maybe a car," Therese said. "That's freedom, as well. But I don't need a car in New York. Still, I don't want Carol to be disappointed. She lost a lot more than I did."

            "Over you two being together?" Angie said.

            "Yes," Therese said.

            "Peg's about to turn the tables on that. It might actually work out better if you prefer to live on your own. Say if Carol gets some custody of Rindy," Angie said.

            "I've thought of that. Carol never rushes me or anything. She wants me to have what I need. But I worry that our needs might not be the same, you know? I just worry," Therese said. "I'm not a mother, so I can never really understand. I never had as much to lose."

            "I wouldn't look at it that way. Must be hard feeling helpless," Angie said.

            "I wouldn't think to frame it that way, but it was," Therese said, then corrected herself, "Is."

            "Peg'll handle it," Angie said.

            "I'm not sure she can," Therese said.

            "You don't know Peg," Angie said. "That clown Harge sent after you was like a rat in Peggy's world. She's more in the lion category."

            "There are lawyers and a lot of money involved," Therese said.

            "Doesn't matter," Angie said.

            Therese unlocked the doors to the apartment building, and they made their way back up to Carol's apartment. Therese stared at the strange materials on the table. Angie seemed to ignore them all. She looked closely at Carol. She seemed in shock, astonished. Therese came and put her hand on Carol's shoulder. She held Therese's hand and looked up at her face. She had something to tell her. Therese thought for the first time that maybe Peggy really had turned the tables somehow, and Carol would get Rindy.

            "I'll keep this one," Peggy said taking a folder from the table and placing it in a red briefcase. "You'll burn the others?"

            "Yes," Carol said.

            "As soon as possible?" Peggy said.

            "The moment you leave, I promise," Carol said.

            Peggy gave her a stern nod. She sat back down at the table and her demeanor softened a little. Angie broke the spell of the mood by pushing everything else aside for the boxes of chocolates she had brought home.

            "I got the recommended assortment and a box of tea for the immediate party," Angie said. "And one box of sea salt and dark chocolate caramels destined to become the exclusive property of a Ms. Margaret Carter."

            She handed Peggy a gold box with a bow wrapped around it. Peggy was obviously shocked and delighted by this gift. _She really loves food_ , Therese thought watching her face. Angie smiled so fully that it made her nose crinkle and laughed silently, as she watched Peggy's overjoyed response. Peggy really did have just about the sweetest smile she had ever seen on any person.

            As if catching a moment on the fact that there were other people in the room then remembering who it was, Peggy reached out with a hitch in the movement of her arm and put her hand on the back of Angie's waist. Angie's eyebrows went up. She bit her lip. She must have known Peggy so well that she could read the permission in Peggy's face or guess her response, because she leaned down quite confidently and kissed her.

            Therese felt herself snag almost physically between shyly turning away and watching them closely. The scales tipped towards watching them. She could tell that the feel of Angie's mouth upon her own made Peggy lose every other thread of thought in all of an instant. Her entire posture became soft and open, and her hand came to touch the back of Angie's lightly. As Angie stood back, they shared a look and a smile before they seemed to really remember where they were. Peggy made to clear her throat in a slightly self-conscious manner but only managed to swallow, then she smiled and turned back to the others.

            Therese looked down at Carol, whose face broke out into a full grin. There was something astonishing about actually seeing two women together and in love. As she went to light the burner and make them all some coffee and tea, Therese thought over that kiss, held like a photograph in her mind. She felt her own body soften, and she felt that she stood a little more solid and strong. She sighed a bit. She found it easier to remember that what existed between her and Carol was not a secret to be feared, but something sacred to be kept away from any harm. Seeing how beautiful Peggy and Angie's love was even when the passion they shared was openly revealed made her feel more certain that the life she was living was beautiful, as well.

**Author's Note:**

> I was worried initially about the underlying feminist politics of this crossover, enough that I delayed in writing the story. The two worlds operate on such different rules. The delicate realism of Carol compared with the stylized, exaggerated world of Agent Carter tell very different stories. I was afraid that introducing a female character who could solve problems by simply kicking ass and handling the situation like a superhero might undermine the courage, sacrifice, and more realistic strategies the women in Carol adopt to survive and love in patriarchy. I talked this through with a close friend. She said she was interested in the story anyways. She put it this way, "What would it be like to put those characters in a world where women get to win?" That seemed like a story worth writing to me.


End file.
